NAME

       DB - programmatic interface to the Perl debugging API

SYNOPSIS

           package CLIENT;
           use DB;
           @ISA = qw(DB);

           # these (inherited) methods can be called by the client

           CLIENT->register()      # register a client package name
           CLIENT->done()          # de-register from the debugging API
           CLIENT->skippkg('hide::hide')  # ask DB not to stop in this package
           CLIENT->cont([WHERE])       # run some more (until BREAK or
                                       # another breakpointt)
           CLIENT->step()              # single step
           CLIENT->next()              # step over
           CLIENT->ret()               # return from current subroutine
           CLIENT->backtrace()         # return the call stack description
           CLIENT->ready()             # call when client setup is done
           CLIENT->trace_toggle()      # toggle subroutine call trace mode
           CLIENT->subs([SUBS])        # return subroutine information
           CLIENT->files()             # return list of all files known to DB
           CLIENT->lines()             # return lines in currently loaded file
           CLIENT->loadfile(FILE,LINE) # load a file and let other clients know
           CLIENT->lineevents()        # return info on lines with actions
           CLIENT->set_break([WHERE],[COND])
           CLIENT->set_tbreak([WHERE])
           CLIENT->clr_breaks([LIST])
           CLIENT->set_action(WHERE,ACTION)
           CLIENT->clr_actions([LIST])
           CLIENT->evalcode(STRING)  # eval STRING in executing code's context
           CLIENT->prestop([STRING]) # execute in code context before stopping
           CLIENT->poststop([STRING])# execute in code context before resuming

           # These methods will be called at the appropriate times.
           # Stub versions provided do nothing.
           # None of these can block.

           CLIENT->init()          # called when debug API inits itself
           CLIENT->stop(FILE,LINE) # when execution stops
           CLIENT->idle()          # while stopped (can be a client event loop)
           CLIENT->cleanup()       # just before exit
           CLIENT->output(LIST)    # called to print any output that
                                   # the API must show

DESCRIPTION

       Perl debug information is frequently required not just by debuggers, but also by modules
       that need some "special" information to do their job properly, like profilers.

       This module abstracts and provides all of the hooks into Perl internal debugging
       functionality, so that various implementations of Perl debuggers (or packages that want to
       simply get at the "privileged" debugging data) can all benefit from the development of
       this common code.  Currently used by Swat, the perl/Tk GUI debugger.

       Note that multiple "front-ends" can latch into this debugging API simultaneously.  This is
       intended to facilitate things like debugging with a command line and GUI at the same time,
       debugging debuggers etc.  [Sounds nice, but this needs some serious support -- GSAR]

       In particular, this API does not provide the following functions:

       •   data display

       •   command processing

       •   command alias management

       •   user interface (tty or graphical)

       These are intended to be services performed by the clients of this API.

       This module attempts to be squeaky clean w.r.t "use strict;" and when warnings are
       enabled.

   Global Variables
       The following "public" global names can be read by clients of this API.  Beware that these
       should be considered "readonly".

       $DB::sub
               Name of current executing subroutine.

       %DB::sub
               The keys of this hash are the names of all the known subroutines.  Each value is
               an encoded string that has the sprintf(3) format "("%s:%d-%d", filename, fromline,
               toline)".

       $DB::single
               Single-step flag.  Will be true if the API will stop at the next statement.

       $DB::signal
               Signal flag. Will be set to a true value if a signal was caught.  Clients may
               check for this flag to abort time-consuming operations.

       $DB::trace
               This flag is set to true if the API is tracing through subroutine calls.

       @DB::args
               Contains the arguments of current subroutine, or the @ARGV array if in the
               toplevel context.

       @DB::dbline
               List of lines in currently loaded file.

       %DB::dbline
               Actions in current file (keys are line numbers).  The values are strings that have
               the sprintf(3) format "("%s\000%s", breakcondition, actioncode)".

       $DB::package
               Package namespace of currently executing code.

       $DB::filename
               Currently loaded filename.

       $DB::subname
               Fully qualified name of currently executing subroutine.

       $DB::lineno
               Line number that will be executed next.

   API Methods
       The following are methods in the DB base class.  A client must access these methods by
       inheritance (*not* by calling them directly), since the API keeps track of clients through
       the inheritance mechanism.

       CLIENT->register()
               register a client object/package

       CLIENT->evalcode(STRING)
               eval STRING in executing code context

       CLIENT->skippkg('D::hide')
               ask DB not to stop in these packages

       CLIENT->run()
               run some more (until a breakpt is reached)

       CLIENT->step()
               single step

       CLIENT->next()
               step over

       CLIENT->done()
               de-register from the debugging API

   Client Callback Methods
       The following "virtual" methods can be defined by the client.  They will be called by the
       API at appropriate points.  Note that unless specified otherwise, the debug API only
       defines empty, non-functional default versions of these methods.

       CLIENT->init()
               Called after debug API inits itself.

       CLIENT->prestop([STRING])
               Usually inherited from DB package.  If no arguments are passed, returns the
               prestop action string.

       CLIENT->stop()
               Called when execution stops (w/ args file, line).

       CLIENT->idle()
               Called while stopped (can be a client event loop).

       CLIENT->poststop([STRING])
               Usually inherited from DB package.  If no arguments are passed, returns the
               poststop action string.

       CLIENT->evalcode(STRING)
               Usually inherited from DB package.  Ask for a STRING to be "eval"-ed in executing
               code context.

       CLIENT->cleanup()
               Called just before exit.

       CLIENT->output(LIST)
               Called when API must show a message (warnings, errors etc.).

BUGS

       The interface defined by this module is missing some of the later additions to perl's
       debugging functionality.  As such, this interface should be considered highly experimental
       and subject to change.

AUTHOR

       Gurusamy Sarathy    gsar@activestate.com

       This code heavily adapted from an early version of perl5db.pl attributable to Larry Wall
       and the Perl Porters.